Resilience, Integrity, and Finding Common Ground: From Dodgers to Damascus with Dr. David Lesch and Catherine Nixon Cooke

Episode notes

Dr. Dan welcomes Dr. David Lesch , acclaimed scholar and former Los Angeles Dodgers draft pick, and Catherine Nixon Cooke , award-winning author and explorer, to discuss Dodgers to Damascus: David Lesch's Journey from Baseball to the Middle East a powerful biography that traces David’s extraordinary path from the baseball diamond to international diplomacy. Dr. Dan, David, and Catherine discuss how resilience, humility, and integrity shape a meaningful life—and how lessons from the pitcher’s mound can translate into peacemaking in the Middle East. Catherine shares insights from her deep research and collaboration with David, revealing universal truths about leadership, empathy, and service. This inspiring conversation reminds us that connection and courtesy can heal divides, that listening is an act of courage, and that being a “possibilist”—someone who sees what can be—is how we move forward as individuals and as a global community. For more information, visit and follow @ drdavidlesch and @ catherinenixoncooke on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.